Link Real Estate Investment Trust is reportedly exploring a potential listing of a new real estate investment trust in Singapore, comprising selected assets located outside of mainland China and Hong Kong. Sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the discussions, indicated that the Hong Kong-based REIT has engaged in preliminary consultations with advisers regarding the proposed initial public offering.
The deliberations remain at an early stage, and there is no certainty that the company will proceed with the listing. Link Asset Management, which manages Link REIT, declined to provide comment on the matter.
This move aligns with Link REIT’s broader strategic pivot towards diversification beyond its traditional property management portfolio. In recent months, the firm has announced plans to expand into fund management, partnering with capital investors. As part of this initiative, the company appointed John Saunders, formerly Head of Asia-Pacific Real Estate at BlackRock Inc, to lead its newly launched platform, Link Real Estate Partners.
Link REIT has experienced a 27% surge in its share price on the Hong Kong exchange this year, resulting in a market capitalisation of approximately US$13.7 billion (RM57.9 billion).
Should the listing proceed, it would mark a notable addition to Singapore’s capital markets, which have been facing challenges in attracting IPOs. As of early June 2025, only five companies have gone public in Singapore, raising a total of just US$39 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Nonetheless, there are indications of renewed activity. Japan’s Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp is said to be preparing a REIT listing in Singapore later this year, while US-based AvePoint Inc filed for a secondary listing in the city-state in January.
-Bloomberg
